WWE learned its lesson this time around as Raw went off the air with Triple H
challenging all main roster stars to appear on NXT.
Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, Drew McIntyre, Ricochet, Cesaro, The Revival, Nikki Cross, Carmella and Kairi Sane were just some of the main roster names with a strong presence on NXT as wild, interpromotional brawls and matchups dominated the show.
WWE’s apparent sledgehammer-to-ants mentality extended to WWE Backstage on FS1. Backstage’s
disastrous premiere only drew a shockingly low 49,000 viewers. The very next week (on a broadcast which drew 100,000 viewers), CM Punk even more shockingly showed up on the fledgling studio show. Punk’s first advertised appearance
translated to 180,000 viewers, a sizable 80% bump.